inferno

noun in·fer·no \ in-ˈfər-(ˌ)nō \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: inferno in a Sentence

Definition of inferno

plural infernos

: a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell

the inferno of war

; also : an intense fire : conflagration

a raging inferno

See inferno defined for English-language learners

See inferno defined for kids

Examples of inferno in a Sentence

By the time help arrived, the fire had grown to a raging inferno.
the intense heat of the raging inferno repeatedly drove back the firefighters

Recent Examples of inferno from the Web

The cause of that inferno, which swept west from Calistoga to Santa Rosa and leveled whole neighborhoods, has been the most anticipated from the October siege due to its immense damage.

— evan sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "Tubbs Fire: Cause not yet released for Wine Country’s biggest blaze," 8 June 2018
Cleveland will not be able to get away with defensive inconsistency against Golden State’s offensive inferno, particularly in Oakland where the Warriors boast a plus-16.3 scoring margin.

— paul coro, latimes.com, "Cavaliers vs. Warriors: How Cleveland and Golden State match up in the NBA Finals," 31 May 2018
Firefighters rushed to the Washington Way business and battled the inferno for more than 90 minutes, officials said.

— shane dixon kavanaugh, OregonLive.com, "10 cars, 2, buildings, 1 boat charred in massive Longview blaze, authorities say," 31 May 2018
The hot, dry Santa Ana winds blowing that day whipped the fire into an inferno, and much of Ventura was soon evacuated.

— author: david gelles, Anchorage Daily News, "Patagonia v. Trump: Inside a battle over public lands," 6 May 2018
Every day, the curators sought to contain the inferno of deception by dousing the blaze with journalistic sensibility, ensuring false and extremely skewed stories did not reach the trending topics list for the entire nation to see.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "How Facebook fired workers who blocked 'fake news' — 'After the Fact' book excerpt," 6 May 2018
With both and England and Argentina sharing one of football's fiercest and hostile rivalries there was, on a scorching day in the capital the incident fanned the flames to almost levels approaching inferno in the sixth minute of the second half.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 8 Weeks To Go - When the World Witnessed Diego Maradona's 'Goal of the Century'," 29 Apr. 2018
White was hysterical, and neighbors had to restrain her from trying to get back into the inferno.

— tim evans, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana woman convicted of killing 6 continues fight for freedom," 11 June 2015
The hot, dry Santa Ana winds blowing that day whipped the fire into an inferno, and much of Ventura was soon evacuated.

— author: david gelles, Anchorage Daily News, "Patagonia v. Trump: Inside a battle over public lands," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inferno.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of inferno

Italian, hell, from Late Latin infernus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1834

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

inferno Synonyms

Synonyms

conflagration, fire, holocaust;

Related Words

blaze, flare-up;

backfire, bonfire, brush fire, campfire, forest fire, wildfire;

arson;

INFERNO Defined for English Language Learners

inferno

noun

Definition of inferno for English Language Learners

: a very large and dangerous fire

Learn More about inferno

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inferno Spanish Central: Translation of inferno Nglish: Translation of inferno for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inferno for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up inferno? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

inferno

Definition of inferno

Examples of inferno in a Sentence

Recent Examples of inferno from the Web

Origin and Etymology of inferno

inferno Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

INFERNO Defined for English Language Learners

inferno

Definition of inferno for English Language Learners

Learn More about inferno

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

voracity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

If the Shoe Fits

On the Disruption of 'Disrupt'

'Than': What Follows It and Why

Words We're Watching: 'B side'

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Name More Food!

Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Spell It

SCRABBLE® Sprint

If the Shoe Fits

On the Disruption of 'Disrupt'

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Name More Food!

Ghost Word

inferno

Definition of inferno

Examples of inferno in a Sentence

Recent Examples of inferno from the Web

Origin and Etymology of inferno

inferno Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

INFERNO Defined for English Language Learners

inferno

Definition of inferno for English Language Learners

Learn More about inferno

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

If the Shoe Fits

On the Disruption of 'Disrupt'

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Name More Food!

Ghost Word